The Servant's Journey

November 2017 Issue

Giving Thanks and Giving Tuesday

This month has been a busy one for UMVIM-NEJ as I'm sure it has been for you, too. We had our annual Board of Directors meeting and elected new officers, revised our bylaws, created a baseline job description for our Annual Conference UMVIM Coordinators, among other things. Then the office moved to Houston, Texas for a week to help with the disaster response there (see photos below). From Houston to Atlanta for a conference to promote unity in the UMC and from there to UMCOR Sager Brown Depot to connect with all of the Disaster Response Coordinators around the country, reaffirm our UMVIM-UMCOR partnership, and get the latest updates on how we work together to "Be There. Be Hope."

Now that I can pause, I want to give thanks for all of you and the work that you do so tirelessly to advance the cause of Christ and the Kingdom of God in our midst. I truly believe that your efforts to embody Christian love through mission are God's plan for salvation. Whether you are giving a day, a week, a month, a year, or a lifetime in repairing the brokenness in God's Creation, you are a beacon of hope and a signpost of redemption. Your stories and faithfulness sustain, inspire, and energize me. Thank you.

If the ministry of UMVIM-NEJ has helped you to connect to God's mission, I encourage you to express your thanks this Thanksgiving and next week on Giving Tuesday by donating through the Advance. We rely on the support of people like you to make this ministry possible. Please go to Advance Project #982760 to support UMVIM-NEJ.

With gratitude,

Tom

Teams in the Field

The NEJ UMVIM office organized a team that traveled to Houston for Long-Term Recovery earlier this month. We did demo, insulation, electrical, drywall, and got to know "Miss Dorothy" in the process. Special thanks to Greater New Jersey Conference for offering their tool trailer. Participants included: Cullen and Laura Kempson of Sparta UMC, Glenn Sumpman of Wantage UMC, Robin Bresser of Christ UMC in Lansdale, PA, Nicole Troast and Gwen Stark of Good Shepherd UMC, and UMVIM-NEJ Coordinator Tom Lank.

New Faces, New Jobs

Since the beginning of the year, we have welcomed new Annual Conference UMVIM Coordinators and new Disaster Response Coordinators. In some cases, familiar faces took on new roles. Here they are!

Pictured from Left to Right are:

Tom Vencuss, NY Conf Coordinator of Mission Ministry, new Vice-Chair of UMVIM-NEJ Board of Directors

Barbara Burnside, New England Conference Disaster Response and Mission Coordinator, new Secretary of UMVIM-NEJ Board

Roger Cullen, co-UMVIM Coordinator for Upper New York Conference, new Treasurer of UMVIM-NEJ Board

Brittany Rusk, Greater NJ UMVIM Coordinator

David Stilgenbauer, WVA UMVIM Coordinator

Curt Knouse, Susquehanna Disaster Response and UMVIM Coordinator

Tom O'Hearn, GNJ Disaster Response Coordinator

Stacey Cole-Wilson, At-Large Member of UMVIM-NEJ Board and Baltimore Washington Conference Director of Congregational Excellence and Strategic Partnerships

Not pictured: Fred Sipes, new Baltimore-Washington Disaster Response Coordinator

Wendy Vencuss, new At-Large Member of UMVIM-NEJ Board, UMCOR Consultant for Emotional & Spiritual Care

Puerto Rico Update

An Advance Response Team from UMCOR (including Tom Vencuss) has just returned from Puerto Rico and will be communicating a long-range plan for volunteers in the near future. The plan was developed by the church in Puerto Rico and has been described as "very comprehensive" by Cathy Earl of UMCOR
Several containers of supplies requested by the Iglesia Metodista Puerto Rico have already been shipped from Sager Brown. These include cleaning buckets, health kits, solar lights and satellite phones. A conservative estimate of the value of those in-kind donations so far is $794,738.
Ted Warnock, UMC Missionary for Special Projects assures us after having spent time on the ground in Puerto Rico that our donations through UMCOR and the Advance are "putting food where people can use it and putting Puerto Rican volunteers to work."

For a full-update on response to 2017 hurricanes and other disasters, check out our website. For a full list of ongoing Long-Term Recovery sites, check out our interactive map.

Disaster Response Coordinators Gather at Sager-Brown

Back Row, left to right: JF Lacaria (WV), Joe Auslander (UNY), Fred Sipes (BWC), Calvin Cook (WPA), Greg Ellis (EPA), Barbara Burnside (NE), Stephanie Gottschalk (WPA), Tom O'Hearn (GNJ)

Front row: Tom Lank (NEJ), Liz McDevitt (UMCOR Consultant from GNJ), Rich Walton (PD), Sue and Dan Lowther (WV)

Upcoming ERT and VIM Trainings

There has been lots of activity in the NEJ around ERT Training and Recertification. And there's more to come! Click the links for each conference for further information or to register.

New England

December 2 - ERT Training - Londonderry, NH

New York

December 2 - Equipping Communities for Mission - VIM Training Event - Learning Center, White Plains

Eastern PA

January 20 - UMVIM Team Leader Training - Hempfield UMC

Important Dates

November 28 - Giving Tuesday

April 11-14 - NEJ Mission/Disaster Academy at Pecometh Camp & Retreat Center

Global Ministries / Mission Volunteers Update

(Mission Volunteers are trained by Global Ministries staff and serve from 2 months to 2 years in placements both in the U.S. and globally at their own expense.)

It may seem a little early to start thinking of summer, but if you would like to serve as a volunteer this June, July, and August, we need to get your application now! Mission Volunteers is looking for people aged 18 and up who can give at least two months to serve with others around the world. Applications for summer service are being accepted now. You can find the application and other program information at www.missionvolunteers.org. Training is mandatory – the next session is January 31 – February 3 in Lake Junaluska, North Carolina. Hurry – we can only accept applications for this event until December 13, 2017! Apply Now! Email ksmith@umcmission.org for more information.

Volunteer Needs for Individuals/Couples:

Bahamas Methodist Habitat is seeking volunteers to begin as soon as possible to help with their Disaster Relief Program, as well as a Volunteer Coordinator. If you can serve for six months starting in Feb/March 2018, please contact Mission Volunteers.

Do you have teaching experience? The English-speaking School of Lubumbashi, DRC, needs teachers for any grades from pre-kindergarten to high school. A teaching certificate is not required, but desirable. Housing is provided by the school.

See the full list of opportunities at www.missionvolunteers.org.

Mission Volunteers from the NEJ Currently Deployed:

Nancy Potter & George Gull, Upper NY Conference - serving at Aqua Viva Serves in Los Chiles, Costa Rica

Richard Mroczka, Western PA Conference - serving IGLEMEN, the Methodist Church in Nicaragua in Managua

Upcoming Mission Volunteer Trainings:

January 31 – February 3, 2018

Lake Junaluska Conference & Retreat Center

91 N. Lakeshore Drive

Lake Junaluska, NC 28745

Nearest airport – Asheville Regional Airport [AVL]

April 18-21, 2018

East Bay Camp

24248 Ron Smith Memorial Hwy

Hudson, IL 61748

Nearest airport – Central Illinois Regional Airport [BMI]

September 12-15, 2018

St. Raphaela Center

616 Coopertown Road

Haverford, PA 19041

Nearest airport – Philadelphia International Airport [PHL]

October 31 – November 3, 2018

McCurdy Ministries

362A S. McCurdy Road

Espanola, NM 87532

Nearest airports – Santa Fe Municipal Airport [SAF] (32 miles)

Did You Know?

Global Ministries' Primetimers program offers educational and mission service experience for older adults. Exciting 5-10 day events offer opportunities for educational forums, cross-cultural exposure, faith-filled reflection, and greater exposure to the work of The United Methodist Church and the church universal.

For 2018, we have two events: The first is a cruise in January to Haiti, Jamaica, and Mexico. Although the brochure states that the deadline has passed, people can sign up to attend as long as there is room on the ship. Barbara Glad is the contact: barbaraglad@aol.com Phone: 763-213-1297

In October 2018, the Primetimers will be traveling to Nicaragua to view the El Provenir project. The registration deadline is July 1, 2018. Registration form and deposit are available online and should be sent to Katherine Smith (ksmith@umcmission.org) at the Mission Volunteers office.